As we approach Independence Day, I recognize this continues to be a time of transition for many across the agency. We’re working through complex changes together, and I want to thank you for the professionalism and dedication you continue to demonstrate in support of our mission.
This holiday offers a moment to reflect on the freedoms that define our nation – freedoms that make it possible for us to explore. At NASA, we carry that passion for exploration into every part of our work, reaching beyond what’s known for the benefit of all. The holiday is also a time to honor those whose service and sacrifice have made our freedom possible. For me, it’s a reminder of the meaning and responsibility of public service, especially in uncertain times.
Our astronauts aboard the International Space Station shared their own reflections in a special Fourth of July message to the nation. I encourage you to take a moment to watch. It’s a powerful reminder of what it means to serve our country from 250 miles above Earth.
To mark the holiday, I’ve asked our leadership teams to dismiss NASA civil servants up to four hours early on Thursday, July 3, provided your absence does not interfere with organizational priorities. I hope you’ll take this time to rest, enjoy the company of friends and family, and reflect on what this day means to you.
A few highlights from this week:
- NASA astronaut Anil Menon has been assigned to his first spaceflight and will serve as a flight engineer on the space station as part of Expedition 75. Launching aboard Soyuz MS-29 in June 2026 alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, Menon will spend about eight months conducting research to support future deep space missions and benefit life on Earth.
- To support safer air taxis of the future, researchers dropped a full-scale aircraft body from the gantry at NASA Langley’s Landing and Impact Research Facility. The team is analyzing how the aircraft’s materials absorbed crash energy, with data feeding into computational tools to help manufacturers design better Advanced Air Mobility aircraft for urban skies.
- The agency announced a new partnership with Netflix to bring NASA+ programming to the platform starting this summer, giving audiences another way to stream launches, spacewalks, mission coverage, and real-time views from the International Space Station. With Netflix’s global reach of more than 700 million people, the partnership will help us share our story of exploration with an even broader audience. NASA+ will continue to stream for free on the agency’s app and website.
- NASA’s Earth Science Disasters response team is supplying requested satellite imagery and data to aid in both fire and landslide evacuation planning and recovery efforts in New Mexico. FEMA and the New Mexico Emergency Operations Center received NASA’s True Color and Color Infrared Imagery (from Planet and Sentinel-2) for the Trout Fire, in Grant County, and for Seven Springs, New Mexico, and landslide risk modeling using NASA’s Global Landslide Hazard Assessment Model (LHASA).
- At Marshall Space Flight Center, we awarded three university engineering teams in our second annual Human Lander Challenge. The teams developed solutions for long-duration cryogenic, or super chilled, liquid storage to advance human exploration of deep space.
- NASA Marshall also marked its 65th anniversary this week, celebrating more than six decades of contributions to America’s mission in space. From solving some of NASA’s most complex, technical flight challenges to contributing to science that benefits life and protects resources on Earth, Marshall continues to play a vital role in shaping the agency’s future.
Wishing you a safe and meaningful Fourth of July.
Embrace the Challenge,
Janet
NASA Watch founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.